The seven triptans available (plus one combination tablet) differ in terms of their effectiveness and negative effects. They are relatively expensive, ranging from $12 to $46 per tablet (threenaratriptan, rizatriptan, and sumatriptanare currently available as generics). The nasal spray and injectable versions are more expensive.
We’ve chosen one triptan as our Consumer Reports Best Buy Drug for persons with moderate to severe migraine pain and symptoms:
What is the price of Maxalt?
71 percent of insurance plans cover the most common type of Maxalt for a co-pay of $60.00-$80.00; however, some drugstore coupons or cash pricing may be cheaper. The cheapest generic Maxalt price on GoodRx is roughly $10.05, which is 94 percent less than the average retail price of $177.57.
Does Maxalt have generic?
Now there are two, which is beneficial to you. The FDA has given Mylan permission to market generic Maxalt pills and Maxalt-MLT dissolvable tablets. The generic versions of Maxalt and Maxalt-MLT, rizatriptan benzoate tablets and rizatriptan benzoate orally disintegrating tablets (ODT), are on their way.
Is Maxalt covered by insurance?
Medicare Coverage and Co-Pay Information for Maxalt – GoodRx. Maxalt (Rizatriptan) is a pricey migraine medication that can be used with or without an aura. 71 percent of insurance plans cover the most common type of Maxalt for a co-pay of $60.00-$80.00; however, some drugstore coupons or cash pricing may be cheaper. Compare and contrast triptans.
What is the cheapest medicine for migraine?
Migraine treatment with sumatriptan (Imitrex) is a low-cost option. It is more popular than similar medications. It comes in both generic and brand names. Most Medicare and insurance programs cover generic sumatriptan, however some drugstore coupons or cash pricing may be lower.
Is Maxalt a narcotic?
When you use Maxalt with some other medications, your body can build up too much serotonin, causing a condition called “serotonin syndrome,” which can be fatal. If you use any of the following, tell your doctor.
This is not an exhaustive list. Other pharmaceuticals, such as prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and herbal items, may interact with rizatriptan. This drug guide does not include all probable interactions.
What is the difference between sumatriptan and rizatriptan?
Rizatriptan provides pain relief more quickly than Sumatriptan. A 10mg Rizatriptan dosage can be expected to take effect in as little as 30 minutes when taken as a pill. The Sumatriptan dosage is substantially greater, at 100mg, and provides excellent relief from migraine symptoms in about an hour.
Are Maxalt and Maxalt-MLT used for cluster headaches?
Cluster headaches are excruciating headaches that come on suddenly and repeatedly throughout the day. They usually affect one side of the head and the surrounding area around the eyes. Cluster headaches usually linger about an hour and then disappear.
Maxalt and Maxalt-MLT are migraine medications that have been approved by the FDA. Migraine headaches are not the same as cluster headaches. The pain from a migraine headache normally lasts several hours. Other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light or sound may accompany the pain.
Triptans are a class of medications that include Maxalt and Maxalt-MLT. There are several other triptan-class medicines that are used to treat cluster headaches. Sumatriptan (Imitrex) and zolmitriptan are two examples (Zomig).
If you’re suffering from cluster headaches and require treatment, speak with your doctor about the best option for you.
Will Maxalt and Maxalt-MLT show up on a drug screen?
No. These medicines should not show up on a drug screen unless the drug screening test explicitly checks for the presence of rizatriptan benzoate (the active ingredient in Maxalt and Maxalt-MLT).
Some drugs have been reported to produce a false positive on a drug test. Maxalt and Maxalt-MLT, on the other hand, aren’t known to induce false positive results. (A false positive result occurs when a drug test detects the presence of a substance despite the fact that the person being tested has not taken the drug.)
If you’re given a drug test, be sure to notify the healthcare physician who ordered it about all of your prescriptions. This will help them rule out any possible false positive findings caused by your medication.
Are Maxalt and Maxalt-MLT triptans?
Triptans are a class of medications that are used to treat migraine headaches. Migraine is a disorder that causes a severe headache as well as other symptoms. Nausea and vomiting, as well as sensitivity to light and sound, are possible symptoms. Swollen blood vessels in your head may be the cause of migraine attacks.
Triptans operate by boosting serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that binds to receptors (docking stations) on your brain’s blood arteries. This causes your brain’s blood vessels to constrict (narrow), which can help alleviate migraine symptoms.
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you want to learn more about how triptans work.
Do Maxalt and Maxalt-MLT contain caffeine?
Caffeine is present in certain migraine medicines. This is due to the fact that caffeine can assist narrow enlarged blood vessels and alleviate migraine symptoms. Caffeine-containing migraine medicines include the following:
- acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine are examples of over-the-counter pain medications (Excedrin Migraine)
Caffeine, on the other hand, can cause migraines in certain people. It’s critical to understand whether caffeine relieves or aggravates your migraine. If coffee tends to make your migraines worse, you’ll want to stay away from it. Caffeine-containing migraine medicines may fall into this category.
Consult your doctor if you have any concerns about how coffee may impact your migraine.
Can Maxalt and Maxalt MLT cause depression?
In clinical investigations of Maxalt and Maxalt-MLT, depression was not reported as a side effect. However, one study indicated that sumatriptan (Imitrex), a different migraine medicine, may cause depression after several years of use. Triptans are a class of medications that include Maxalt and Maxalt-MLT. Sumatriptan is a medication that belongs to the triptan pharmacological class. Because both medicines are in the same drug class, it’s probable that Maxalt and Maxalt-MLT will cause depression as well.
Migraine sufferers are also prone to depression. So, if you’re depressed after taking Maxalt or Maxalt-MLT, it’s possible that it’s not the drug’s fault. Researchers aren’t clear why migraines and depression are so closely linked. One notion is that migraine causes depression because of the negative impact its symptoms have on your quality of life.
Consult your doctor if you’re concerned about your risk of depression while taking Maxalt or Maxalt-MLT.
Will Maxalt and Maxalt-MLT make me feel ‘high’?
Some participants experienced sensations of euphoria (extreme happiness or excitement) after taking Maxalt and Maxalt-MLT in clinical tests. However, it’s unclear whether the medications were to blame for the bliss.
If you’re worried about how you’ll feel after taking Maxalt or Maxalt-MLT, talk to your doctor.
Can I take 3 Maxalt a day?
- If your migraine headache reappears after taking your first dose of Maxalt (rizatriptan benzoate) or Maxalt-MLT, take a second dose at least 2 hours later.
- In any 24-hour period, an adult should not consume more than 30 milligrams of Maxalt or Maxalt-MLT (mg). Take no more than three 10-mg Maxalt tablets in a 24-hour period, for example.
- It is unknown whether taking more than one dosage of Maxalt in a 24-hour period is safe and effective in children aged 6 to 17.
- If your headache does not go away or returns after taking Maxalt, talk to your doctor about what to do.
Only the 5 mg dose of Maxalt (rizatriptan) is suggested for people who simultaneously take propranolol, with a limit of 3 doses per 24 hour period (15 mg total per 24 hour period).
Only a single 5 mg dose of Maxalt (rizatriptan) is indicated for children weighing 40 kg (88 lb) or more who are simultaneously taking propranolol; do not exceed a 5 mg dose in any 24-hour period. Maxalt should not be given to children who are undergoing propranolol and weigh less than 40 kg (88 lb).
How does rizatriptan (Maxalt) work?
To cure a migraine headache, rizatriptan works by constricting the blood vessels around your brain. Rizatriptan also inhibits the release of chemicals in the body that might cause a migraine attack, nausea, light and sound sensitivity, and other migraine symptoms. It is not used to treat cluster headaches and will not prevent a migraine or reduce the number of headaches that occur.
Maxalt (rizatriptan) is an antimigraine medication that belongs to the “triptans” class of medications. Maxalt is available in two forms: standard oral tablets that you swallow and oral disintegrating tablets that dissolve on your tongue and are then ingested with saliva. The orally disintegrating tablet does not require any fluids to be taken.
What is the normal Maxalt dose?
A single dose of 5 mg or 10 mg of Maxalt (rizatriptan) is advised for adults.
The standard suggested dose for children aged 6 to 17 who weigh less than 40 kg (88 lb) is a single 5 mg dose. The typical dose for children aged 6 to 17 who weigh 40 kg (88 lb) or more is a single dose of 10 mg. Your doctor will advise you how much Maxalt to take and how often you should take it. Maxalt should be taken exactly as directed by your doctor.
If you’ve recently taken ergot-containing drugs or another triptan medicine, don’t take Maxalt.
The 10 mg dose of Maxalt oral tablet and Maxalt-MLT orally disintegrating tablet is available. In the United States, the 5 mg oral Maxalt pill and the 5 mg orally disintegrating Maxalt tablet have been discontinued. Rizatriptan benzoate 5 mg pills and orally disintegrating tablets are available in generic form. Merck is the company that makes Maxalt.
This is not all of the information you need to know about Maxalt (rizatriptan) to use it safely and effectively, and it should not be used in place of speaking with your doctor about your treatment. Review the complete Maxalt information here, and talk to your doctor or other health care professional about it and any concerns you have.
